# Face shapes and haircuts



## Aprill (May 30, 2007)

*When choosing your new hair cut style you should consider which styles you like, which styles suit your lifestyle and hair type, but above all â€” which style of hair cut will look the most flattering on you.*

While choosing the right hair cut style is ultimately about your personal taste there are some basic rules you should follow. At the top of this list is considering what styles suit your face shape.

Finding the Right Hair Cut Style for Your Face Shape

The *oval face* is considered to be the ideal shape by hairdressers. People with an oval face shape can wear most hair cut styles and lengths with it still looking "right". The oval face is mathematically 1.5 times as long as its width, with the forehead slightly wider than the jaw.

*Round faces* are characterised by a round chin. Because they lack the length of the oval face, the hair should be cut to create the illusion of length in the face. This is achieved by creating height on top of the head, and minimising hair width by keeping it flat at the sides and around the ears.

*Rectangular faces* have a square chin and hairline, and are long and narrow. The ideal style of hair cut is one which creates width at the sides disguising the narrowness. A fringe can also shorten the face, and a style with a side part will help to reduce the square appearance.

*Pear shaped* faces have a narrow forehead and are widest at the jawline, with a round chin. The objective of a suitable style of hair cut is to give the illusion of an oval face by creating width at the forehead and temples.

*Heart shaped* faces are widest at the temples and narrowest at the jawline. Usually the chin is small and delicate. The hair cut style's objective should be to create an oval by adding width at the jawline.

*Diamond shaped* faces are widest at the cheekbones and narrow in the forehead and chin. By creating width at the forehead and minimising it at the cheekbones, the illusion of an oval face can be achieved.

*Square faces* have a square jawline and hairline at the forehead. They are 'too short', so a suitable hair cut style seeks to create height elongating the face. Hair should be layered around the face to soften the jawline. Jaw and brow nearly same width. Hair should wisp around face to reduce squareness.

While it's not uncommon for someone to walk into a salon and say, "Give me a Jennifer Aniston", the key to finding a style that works for you is having a hair cut that works with your face shape, not against it.

source: Hair Cut Style: What Works Best for You?


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## StereoXGirl (May 30, 2007)

Thanks for sharing, Aprill!

Quote:
Heart shaped faces are widest at the temples and narrowest at the jawline. Usually the chin is small and delicate. The hair cut style's objective should be to create an oval by adding width at the jawline. Do you have any ideas of a haircut that could achieve this? Thanks!


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## Aprill (May 30, 2007)

Styles that are fuller around the ends will successfully widen the appearance of the chin and jawbone, giving the face a more proportioned look. Hair that is full on top, like short hair with a lot of texture or a pixie style can also work great. Styles that allow for some hair to show behind the ears in order to frame chin. Your cheekbones are one of your greatest assets, be sure to emphasize them. Maintaining fullness at the back of the head, near the nape of the neck is also advised to balance out your distinct cheekbones and narrowing chin. Bangs can also work well on you.

Celebrities with Heart-Shaped Faces: Jennifer Aniston, Victoria Beckham, Juliette Binoche, Naomi Campbell, Sophie Dahl, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ashley Judd, Lisa Kudrow, Lucy Lawless, Martine McCutcheon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claudia Schiffer


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## Dragonfly (May 30, 2007)

Thanks for posting April.

I have a round face and I find that having a low maintenance style works best for me. And having some length certainly does seem to slim my face.


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## dcole710 (May 30, 2007)

Thanks Aprill! I never can tell what shape my face is. I always think it's round but I don't know if it's just because of the "meat" lol. Oh and are there any styles that just make your head look smaller overall. Not necessarily just slimmer.


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## Kemper (May 30, 2007)

*I'm not into these face shape haircuts myself. I have a sort of blend of face shapes, and its often very difficult to determine by these guides, as women's faces often don't fall directly into these categories. As useful as these are as a guideline, I think its more about knowing what your individual face needs, and mixing that knowledge with your own personal quirks: your style, your lifestyle, your colour preferences, and so forth. *

That said, thankyou for posting this, April. Its an excellent reminder that women should look more at what suits them, instead of asking for another person's haircut, and end up wondering why it looks misshapen or out of place on them afterwards.


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## StereoXGirl (May 30, 2007)

Originally Posted by *Aprill849* /img/forum/go_quote.gif Styles that are fuller around the ends will successfully widen the appearance of the chin and jawbone, giving the face a more proportioned look. Hair that is full on top, like short hair with a lot of texture or a pixie style can also work great. Styles that allow for some hair to show behind the ears in order to frame chin. Your cheekbones are one of your greatest assets, be sure to emphasize them. Maintaining fullness at the back of the head, near the nape of the neck is also advised to balance out your distinct cheekbones and narrowing chin. Bangs can also work well on you.
Celebrities with Heart-Shaped Faces: Jennifer Aniston, Victoria Beckham, Juliette Binoche, Naomi Campbell, Sophie Dahl, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ashley Judd, Lisa Kudrow, Lucy Lawless, Martine McCutcheon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claudia Schiffer

Thanks so much!


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## Aprill (May 30, 2007)

Originally Posted by *dcole710* /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks Aprill! I never can tell what shape my face is. I always think it's round but I don't know if it's just because of the "meat" lol. Oh and are there any styles that just make your head look smaller overall. Not necessarily just slimmer. Lol, you kill me with that face meat thing



!! I would say your face is round though, so some things you want to avoid are :


 
Chin length hair with a rounded lines. These rounded styles will only make your face appear to be even more round.


 
Center parts draw attention to the center of your head and point out the center part of a circle like face. 


 
Short-short cuts will only make your face appear to be heavier than normal


 
Straight, flat bangs will only shorten your face. Try tussled or side bangs


 
Fullness at side of ears will create more width


 
Any type of rounded haircut ending at your chin


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## MindySue (May 30, 2007)

I have been told that I can wear any hairstyle so my face must be oval. Either that or the lady was on crack!


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## Aprill (May 30, 2007)

^^^oh yeah, your face is oval


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## MindySue (May 30, 2007)

sweet! im gonna shave it then and it will look good!

LOL jk.


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## Aprill (May 30, 2007)

^^ I almost had a heart attack for a sec, dont shave it, lol


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## MindySue (May 30, 2007)

hhaa nooo way


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## dcole710 (May 30, 2007)

Thanks for the tips Aprill! I thin kI break about half of those rules every day!


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## Life1nDreaming (Jun 3, 2007)

Holy shit I read the head shaving sentence and for like, half a second my heart stopped...And then I was like, ah - she must be joking.... ^_^ /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />;


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## luxotika (Jun 3, 2007)

Mindy you are a strange bird!


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